The Phoenix
by VectorSigma101
Summary: There is a storm brewing in the kingdom of the Clans. Tensions between the Clans are higher than ever, and cats left and right are being accused as murderers. A startling prophecy comes forth, foreshadowing a terrible warning. Goldenstar's confident that he and his Clan will survive, but some cats aren't too sure. After all, even the greatest fires must eventually perish.
1. Allegiances

**WATERFALLCLAN**

**Leader:**

Goldenstar—golden tabby tom w/ awry front right paw & shorten tail w/ golden eyes **Lives—8**

**Deputy:**

Moonshadow—dark gray tom w/ darker stripes w/ amber eyes

**Medicine Cat:**

Mintshard—black tabby tom w/ green eyes **Apprentice—Whiskerpaw**

**Warriors:**

Cedarstep—dark brown tabby tom w/ amber eyes

Otterwhisker—ginger tabby & white she-cat w/ green eyes

Leopardnose—golden she-cat w/ unusual black spots & green eyes

Nightstrike—black tom w/ green eyes & white spot on back (former SavageClan warrior) **Apprentice—Leafpaw**

Ryeleaf—pale brown tabby tom w/ green eyes

Cliffjumper—dark ginger tabby tom w/ amber eyes

Meltingice—white she-cat w/ ginger tabby patches & blue eyes

Leapingriver—light brown she-cat w/ white paws & tail-tip w/ green eyes

Mousethorn—small, dark brown tom w/ ginger underbelly & golden eyes

Privetdrop—white tom w/ black marking over right eye & one green eye & one blue eye

Moonshine—dark gray tabby she-cat w/ golden eyes **Apprentice—Rustpaw**

Tallstalk—long-legged pale gray tabby tom w/ amber eyes

Auburnwhisker—dark golden-brown tabby tom w/ amber eyes

Stalkshine—pale golden tabby she-cat w/ green eyes

Reedleg—long-haired dark gray tom w/ darker legs & green eyes

Shadowclaw—black she-cat w/ white splash on chest & ice blue eyes

Springfox—brown tabby tom w/ white stripe down back & golden eyes

Fallsriver—brown tabby & white she-cat w/ green eyes

Quailheart—pale gray tabby tom w/ pale green eyes

**Apprentices:**

Whiskerpaw—small, speckled pale golden she-cat w/ amber eyes & a limp (medicine cat apprentice)

Rustpaw—dark ginger tom w/ unusual black spots & green eyes (10 moons)

Leafpaw—small, pale brown tabby she-cat w/ green eyes (10 moons)

**Queen:**

Dustberry—dusty, dark gray tabby she-cat w/ blue eyes (mother of Cliffjumper's kits: 6 moons old)

**Kits:**

Cragkit—ginger tabby she-cat w/ green eyes

Adderkit—dark brown tabby she-cat w/ golden eyes

**Elders:**

Tinyspirit—tortoiseshell & white tabby she-cat w/ green eyes

Stripedwhisker—dark brown tabby tom w/ amber eyes & a crippled back left leg

Steelclaw—gray tabby tom w/ blind blue eyes

* * *

><p><strong>ROWANCLAN<strong>

**Leader:**

Prattlestar—pale ginger tabby she-cat w/ amber eyes (former SavageClan cat) **Lives—9**

**Deputy:**

Flashspark—light brown tabby tom w/ green eyes (former SavageClan cat)

**Medicine Cat:**

Chervilpad—pale brown tabby she-cat w/ green eyes **Apprentice—Crowstripe**

**Warriors:**

Emberdust—dark ginger tom w/ faint brown patches & green eyes

Russetflame—dark ginger tabby she-cat w/ green eyes

Dewdapple—dappled dark gray tom w/ green eyes

Secretfaith—pale ginger she-cat w/ green eyes

Falconswoop—light brown tabby she-cat w/ green eyes

Prideheart—black & white tom w/ blue eyes (former loner)

Tumbletwig—dark brown tabby tom w/ amber eyes** Apprentice—Sharppaw**

Dapplespots—dappled gray she-cat w/ green eyes

Yewclaw—pale gray tom w/ amber eyes **Apprentice—Robinpaw**

Gingerflower—dappled pale ginger tabby she-cat w/ green eyes

Tinysnake—small, ginger & gray tom w/ green eyes

Mistytail—pale gray tabby & white she-cat w/ blue eyes

Fadedheart—white tom w/ dark gray stripes w/ blue eyes

Featherspots—white she-cat w/ dark gray spots & blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Crowstripe—black tom w/ paler stripe along back & blue eyes (medicine cat apprentice)

Sharppaw—ginger tom w/ amber eyes (10 moons)

Robinpaw—gray & ginger she-cat w/ green eyes (10 moons)

**Queens:**

Eagleheart—paler brown tabby she-cat w/ green eyes (mother of Yewclaw's kits—1 moon old)

**Kits:**

Soulkit—pale brown tabby she-cat w/ green eyes

Wispkit—pale gray she-cat w/ green eyes

**Elders:**

Badgermask—black & white tom w/ green eyes

Leoparddash—long-haired brown tabby tom w/ amber eyes

Cloversplash—tortoiseshell & white she-cat w/ amber eyes

Ravenwing—black tom w/ amber eyes

* * *

><p><strong>MEADOWCLAN<strong>

**Leader:**

Froststar—gray tabby she-cat w/ blue eyes **Lives—5**

**Deputy:**

Flintstrike—gray tabby tom w/ blue eyes

**Medicine Cat:**

Frozenwhisker—white tom w/ green eyes **Apprentice—Pigeonpaw**

**Warriors:**

Windpath—gray tabby & white she-cat w/ blue eyes

Tadpoleclaw—black tom w/ golden eyes

Sootwind—smokey-gray tom w/ amber eyes

Flashclaw—silver tabby tom w/ green eyes

Fuzzyface—dark gray fluffy tom w/ blue eyes

Lichenpelt—mottled light brown she-cat w/ amber eyes

Finchwing—light brown tabby she-cat w/ amber eyes

Shadowmask—black tom w/ blue eyes

Lightberry—white she-cat w/ golden eyes

Fogpelt—gray tabby tom w/ pale blue eyes

Fieldstep—gray fluffy tom w/ green eyes

Maskclaw—black & gray tom w/ amber eyes

Sandtail—pale ginger she-cat w/ amber eyes

Sorrelpetal—tortoiseshell she-cat w/ amber eyes

**Apprentice:**

Pigeonwing—gray & white tom w/ golden eyes (medicine cat apprentice)

**Queens:**

Freezefur—paler gray she-cat w/ blue eyes (mother of Fieldstep's kits—4 moons old)

Meadowdash—light brown she-cat w/ amber eyes (mother of Fogpelt's kits—2 moons old)

**Kits:**

Graykit—gray tom w/ amber eyes

Stormkit—fluffy dark gray tom w/ green eyes

Cloudkit—white she-cat w/ amber eyes

**Elders:**

Brackenstripe—brown tabby tom w/ amber eyes

Silentbreeze—silver tabby she-cat w/ green eyes

Ivystep—gray & white she-cat w/ blue eyes

Thornstep—brown tabby tom w/ amber eyes

Hazelnose—brown & cream she-cat w/ amber eyes

* * *

><p><strong>THISTLECLAN<strong>

**Leader:**

Sloestar—black she-cat w/ blue eyes **Lives—8**

**Deputy:**

Batwing—brown & black tom w/ amber eyes

**Medicine Cat: **

Shatterpelt—dark gray she-cat w/ large darker patches & blue eyes **Apprentice—Sunpaw**

**Warriors:**

Duskwing—gray tabby tom w/ amber eyes

Hailbreath—small, gray & white she-cat w/ blue eyes **Apprentice—Squirrelpaw**

Hollowhead—brown tabby tom w/ amber eyes

Tidefeather—black tom w/ blue eyes

Foxrun—small, dark ginger tom w/ green eyes (former SavageClan warrior)

Rubyfur—dark reddish-tabby she-cat w/ amber eyes **Apprentice—Shrewpaw**

Runningclaw—brown tabby tom w/ green eyes

Cinderbird—gray tabby she-cat w/ blue eyes

Berryshade—dark gray & white tom w/ blue eyes

Voleear—dark brown tom w/ large ears & amber eyes

Dashwind—dark ginger tom w/ amber eyes

Dawnheart—reddish-brown tabby she-cat w/ amber eyes

Mudsplash—brown & ginger tom w/ amber eyes

Apricotfur—dark ginger she-cat w/ amber eyes

Puddletail—gray & white she-cat w/ blue eyes

Frostwillow—white tom w/ blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Shrewpaw—dark brown tom w/ amber eyes

Squirrelpaw—ginger & gray she-cat w/ blue eyes

Sunpaw—ginger tom w/ amber eyes (medicine cat apprentice)

**Queen:**

Applepelt—reddish-brown she-cat w/ amber eyes (mother of Foxrun's kits—3 moons old)

**Kit:**

Pinekit—reddish-brown tabby tom w/ amber eyes

**Elders:**

Halfheart—white she-cat w/ one green eye & one blue eye

Fireblaze—dark ginger tabby tom w/ amber eyes

* * *

><p><strong>PACK<strong>

Ink—black & white tom w/ golden eyes (formerly of WaterfallClan)

Chip—black & silver German Shepard male w/ amber eyes

Sally—soft brown Labrador Retriever female w/ amber eyes

Marmalade—long-haired rowan Finnish Spitz male w/ amber eyes

Frost—small, long-haired white West Highland White Terrier female w/ blue eyes

Tank—mottled golden-brown Boxer male w/ amber eyes, a white chest & underbelly

Jonas—gray & white Siberian Husky male w/ amber eyes

Cherry—black Flat-Coated Retriever female w/ amber eyes

Russet—ginger Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever female w/ amber eyes

Spot—black & white Dalmatian female w/ amber eyes

Mark—brown, white and black Beagle male w/ amber eyes


	2. Prologue

**Here we go; the final story in _The Forbidden_ trilogy! I want to thank everyone for viewing my stories, it means so much! :D**

**Enjoy!**

**Warriors © Erin Hunter**

**Cats/Clans © Me**

* * *

><p>A pale gray tabby tom sat down in a clearing and stared at the prattling creek that lay at his paws. The clear water failed to conceal the tiny minnows that darted around and the cat was tempted to snag one unlucky fish for a small meal. But this creek was not meant for feasting; it was meant for much greater things.<p>

Wind suddenly picked its pace and it swayed the mighty oaks high above the tom. The branches swayed in an interpretive dance like formation as the rustling grew louder and louder.

Someone was coming.

The wind abruptly died down when several cats entered the clearing. One was a cream-colored she-cat with green eyes. Another was a dark gray tom with amber eyes, a dark ginger tabby tom, and a mottled dark ginger tom. Lastly, there was a much younger dark ginger tom and pitch black tom with sharp green eyes. All six cats made their way towards the tom by the creek.

"Greetings, Quailfeather," the she-cat greeted and dipped her head.

Quailfeather dipped his head at the older she-cat. "Greetings, Honeywhisker. I suppose you are here to discuss the news I've recently discovered?"

"That is why I gathered them here," Honeywhisker agreed.

Quailfeather nodded and motioned for the crowd to gather around him. "For the past several sunrises, I've studied the creek. We all know that it is the source of prophecies and omens, but we do not know where those come from."

"Do you think that there's a higher deity?" the smokey gray tom inquisitively asked.

Quailfeather turned towards the mottled ginger tom to his right. "What do you think, Flamescorch?"

The former medicine cat thought for a moment. "I've often thought about it before, and we've talked about it with the other medicine cats, but for now the answer is a no, Ashwhisker. There is no real proof of a higher deity."

"So…what's the big _secret_ you've been meaning to tell us, Quailfeather?" the younger ginger tom snapped.

Quailfeather flicked his ears at his son's rude behavior, but he didn't mention on it. "I've seen terrible visions in the creek lately; they were filled with an immense heat so powerful that I swore I felt its heat on my whiskers. It only lasted a few heartbeats, before it disappeared."

"So…a fire?" another dark ginger tom asked.

"Not exactly, we think, Redstar," Quailfeather explained. "I think it's something else."

"Like what?" the black tom asked.

"It's more like a warning, Blackfrost," the former medicine cat went on. "And I have a feeling for the cat it is referring to."

There was a slight pause before Honeywhisker spoke up. "His reign would be so short, but he will undoubtedly follow the same path his former selves did."

"Is there anything we can do to prevent it? His Clan doesn't deserve to lose him so soon," Ashwhisker sympathized.

"No, it's not fair, but it's the cycle we all went through," Quailfeather spoke quietly. "No cat can live forever, especially not a cat of his power and might. His journey is over and he will return when we need him again."

Ashwhisker slowly nodded.

"I will send the omen immediately," Quailfeather meowed off topic.

"Do you know who you will send it to?" Redstar asked.

The starred cat nodded. "I trust in her abilities," Quailfeather commented. "The Clan must be warned as soon as possible. Who knows that kind of storm we are about to face."


	3. Chapter 1

_Smoke filled her lungs once more as she frantically ran towards the nursery, and she once again let out harsh coughs that joined with the chorus of many others. The bright wisps of flame blinded her vision and her pads burned from the hot dirt. A sudden 'watch out!' froze the young she-cat in her tracks as she nearly ran into a fallen blazing tree branch. The force of the fall casted aside free floating embers that singed her long whiskers. Quickly dashing around it, the pale speckled golden she-cat nimbly made her way into the nursery. The small tree stump was covered in ash and cinders, but the untamed flames hadn't victimized it yet. The mews of a kit emanated from the stump, fright soaking the worried cries. Locating the source of fragile mewls, she stretched out her neck into the burrow and grasped the scruff of a young mewling kit. The kit tucked in its paws and tail towards its belly and its frighten mewls filled the thick and ashy air. The she-cat was about to make a mad dash for the camp entrance when the a flaming tree fell right in front of her, is tongues of fire nearly beckoning her to come closer, and blocking the only safe way out of the camp._

_ She heard the wild and frantic calls of her Clanmates beyond the camp walls and she willed to cal back, but she didn't want to risk the kit in her jaws becoming prey to tricky flames. She scanned madly at the dark sky above her, wanting to yowl to her ancestors why they had forsaken her to become a victim of the blaze, but the stars were blocked by thick blankets of smoke. _

_ A sharp paw prodded her side. She looked around, expecting to see a nervous Clanmate besides her, but there was none. Her flank was prodded again, and the young she-cat once more looked around, but found no cat near her. The next poke was harder and the apprentice blinked open her eyes_ and was surprised to find herself in the medicine cats' den with a very angry-looking mentor glaring at her.

"What are you, a deaf minnow, Whiskerpaw?" the aggravated black tabby tom snapped, his green eyes blazing like the crimson flames in her dream. "I've been prodding you for a quarter moon now! You know we have things to do today!"

"Sorry, Mintshard!" Whiskerpaw groveled. "It was…just a very pleasant dream."

It was actually the opposite. Whiskerpaw had never seen anything more horrifying in her entire young life. Mintshard gave her an odd look, as if he didn't quite believe her story, but merely shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, now that you're up, go bring the elders some fresh-kill. The apprentices should've caught something appetizing by now."

"Yes, Mintshard," Whiskerpaw complied. She waited until her ticked-off mentor disappeared into their storage area to count their supplies before she sighed. She may appreciate everything her mentor has done for her, but he could still have his moments like an emotional young she-cat.

Deciding not to anger her mentor any further than she already has, Whiskerpaw gingerly got to her paws, being mindful of her stiff right leg, and made her way out of the burrow. She faintly remembered how she received the injury; an attack with a dog pack. The most peculiar thing about the pack was that it was currently being led by a _cat_ who _used_ to be from _WaterfallClan_. She only knew a little about the incident and she didn't have the guts to ask her parents in case they snap at her to be mindful of her business like last time she asked.

_ "It doesn't matter anymore, Whiskerpaw," her father had told her. "What matters now is that_ _the dogs will never harm you or any other cat ever again."_

But why did they attack?_ Whiskerpaw had wanted to ask, but the glare from her father made_ _her shut her mouth._

Rustpaw and Leafpaw, the Clan's two apprentices, sat by the fresh-kill pile and were arguing over something minnow-brained by the time Whiskerpaw approached them.

"No way, Rustpaw!" the pale brown tabby she-cat insisted as her brother noisily chomped on a piece of pike. "I can eat _way_ faster than you can!"

"Yeah, right," Rustpaw snickered after he swallowed his bite. "Every cat knows that she-cats only eat _modestly_."

"Nuh uh!" Leafpaw growled at her brother's sneer. She reached over to the fresh-kill pile and pulled out a fat trout. She then attempted to savagely dig into the fresh-kill with her teeth, scampering down small bites in between her tearing.

"Hey, no fair!" Rustpaw argued. He then proceeded to rip a hunk of flesh from his own meal. "You got a head start," he growled with his mouth full.

It wasn't until a few more devours did some other cat take notice. "Rustpaw and Leafpaw!" a sharp voice snapped and froze the two apprentices in their tracks. A white tom with an odd black marking over his right eye marched up to the two apprentices with his white tail lashing angrily behind him. "Do you know how long it took to catch those two pieces of fresh-kill? You know that it's almost the end the leaf-fall and prey will soon be getting scarcer and scarcer."

"You have no right to scold us, Privetdrop!" Rustpaw growled, showing off his fierce attitude he inherited from his mother. "You've been a warrior for how long? Over twenty-four moons?"

"I'm old enough to have some common sense!" Privetdrop snarled. "And look how you treated that prey, both of you! Have you got no respect for living creature that died so you may live?"

"Oh, now he's talking the _warrior code _to us," Rustpaw sneered and rolled his green eyes. "Please, bore us more with your talks of what's right and what's wrong."

Privetdrop was about to retort when Ryeleaf, their father, barged into the argument. "Rustpaw and Leafpaw, show some respect to Privetdrop! He's much older than you and clearly knows how to be a warrior."

"But Rustpaw said that only she-cats ate modestly," Leafpaw argued.

"_Every cat_ is supposed to eat modestly," Ryeleaf growled. "Rustpaw, stop being so judgmental. Leafpaw, stop believing everything your brother says. And both of you will apologize to Privetdrop at once."

Rustpaw was about to retort, but Ryeleaf silenced him with a stern glance. Casting a glance at his sister, Rustpaw sighed. "We're sorry, Privetdrop. You're a great warrior and all."

"Yeah, we're sorry. We should've been grateful for you offering your advice," Leafpaw somberly replied.

Privetdrop merely nodded, awkwardly accepting the forced apology, but he knew that it wasn't going to get any better.

Ryeleaf, seeming pleased, flicked his tail at the half-eaten carcasses at his kits' paws. "Now, I expect you both to finish your prey. That must be gone before you have anything else."

Knowing that there was no disagreeing with him, both kits obediently nodded.

"And I'll have a word with your mentors and Moonshadow on your punishment," Ryeleaf added. "Perhaps even Goldenstar."

"Not Goldenstar!" Leafpaw exclaimed with wide green eyes.

"If he finds out then he'll delay our warrior ceremony!" Rustpaw insisted.

"I'm not saying that he will, but he should know what you've done," Ryeleaf replied. "What happens now is up to him and Moonshadow. Now, finish your prey before you have to go training." He glanced at Whiskerpaw, who had been sitting there for quite some time. "Whiskerpaw, you've been sitting there for a while; pick something and run along."

Whiskerpaw, finally settling on a two nice-sized trout, left the incident with the two fish in her jaws towards the elders' den. The elders' den was a hollow tree on its side with sturdy reeds for support. Visiting the elders' den was always a pleasure, in Whiskerpaw's point of view. She remembered how she and her older siblings used to visit the elders' den every single sunrise when they were kits. She adored Stripedwhisker's tales about the old territory the Clans used to live. The dark brown tabby elder loved to tell ancient battle stories, such as the Great Battle between the old Clans and a group of corrupt cats named SavageClan, and the final siege several moons ago on top of the cliffs. Whiskerpaw's favorite story were the simple stories of her parents and the minnow-brained things they would do as apprentices, such as the timer her father put thistles in his older brother's nest after a heated argument. According to Stripedwhisker, her father was ordered to clean the elders' den for an entire moon!

"Ah, here's our favorite apprentice!" Stripedwhisker purred as Whiskerpaw entered the cozy den. The dark brown tabby tom licked his chops at the sight of the fresh-kill.

"Because she doesn't complain like the other ones," Steelclaw grumbled, his nose twitching to locate where Whiskerpaw was. Despite Steelclaw's harsh tongue, Whiskerpaw had sympathies for gray tabby tom due to his blind eyes. It wasn't his fault that the fox who attacked him severely injured his eyes, marking the end of his warrior status. "Those two do nothing but bicker or make a stupid game out of everything while they're doing their duties."

"All apprentices do that, Steelclaw," Stripedwhisker insisted.

"Yeah, but not all apprentices _whine_ as much as those two!" Steelclaw sniffed. "I wouldn't be surprised if Rumblestar himself walked into camp to complain about how loud those two are."

"I'm afraid Rumblestar's too frail to walk all the way to our camp these days," Stripedwhisker recalled. "It's enough of a trek to make it to the Gatherings let alone another Clan's camp."

"At least that rogue and his kits he invited into the Clan a couple of seasons ago are actually obeying the borders, unlike previous ones," Steelclaw grumbled. "That's perhaps the only good thing he's done."

"How are you doing, Tinyspirit?" Whiskerpaw interrupted the elder's rant. Knowing Stripedwhisker and Steelclaw, those two could go on for sunrises about the gossip of the Clans. At least they keep Tinyspirit company.

The tortoiseshell tabby she-cat gingerly lifted her head off of her bracken nest. "I'm doing just fine, Whiskerpaw," the eldest she-cat replied. "My joints are just stiff as usual."

"I'll have Mintshard give you some more daisy leaves and ragwort for that," Whiskerpaw replied. She grabbed one of the trout and laid it in front of her. "Here you go; fresh from the pile!"

"Thanks, Whiskerpaw," Tinyspirit softly mewed and took a small bite from the fish.

Sensing that the elders were just fine, Whiskerpaw left the log and simply sat outside the den, relishing the warmth of the sun on her thin pelt. She knew it wouldn't be long until the cold settled in and prey and herbs will be harder to come by. She decided to simply sit and watch as Clan life pass by before returning to Mintshard.

Rustpaw and Leafpaw were rolling wads of dirty moss from the nursery, presumably their punishment for disobeying the warrior code. Their mentors, Moonshine and Nightstrike, sat not far with their impatient tails twitching. Clearly they were not pleased that their apprentices were forced to waste precious training time fulfilling their punishment.

Dustberry sat outside the nursery with her two kits born six moons ago, Cragkit—a ginger tabby she-kit, and Adderkit—a dark brown tabby she-kit. The two kits were the daughters of Cliffjumper, but the proud and arrogant tom preferred to do nothing in relation to his kits or his former mate. The said tom was discussing something with Cedarstep, Privetdrop, Auburnwhisker and Shadowclaw outside the warriors' den.

Ryeleaf and Leopardnose were finishing up the remains of a carp not far from Stonecleft. Stalkshine and Tallstalk were sharing tongues and so were Whiskerpaw's other siblings, Springfox and Fallsriver not far as well.

Otterwhisker's border patrol arrived into camp and she had Mousethorn, Reedleg, Moonshadow and Whiskerpaw's other brother, Quailheart, with her.

Goldenstar and Leapingriver were discussing something underneath the Stonecleft. Otterwhisker approached them, presumably with the reports from the border patrol. The three shared a few words before Otterwhisker dipped her head and made her way with the rest of the patrol for the fresh-kill pile for something to eat.

Seeing her Clanmates perform their daily activities, she couldn't help but remember her nightmare she had. She could see it so perfectly in her mind; the startling image of the camp on fire struck her heart sharply. But the risk of a fire in the camp was unlikely, there was a surplus of moisture everywhere, and her father ordered moonly escape drills for the entire Clan in case there was a need for an evacuation.

Still, the haunting image of her dream continued to worry her. What if there was a fire of that severity in the camp? Of course, StarClan wouldn't let that happen to them…right? She decided to ask her mentor, just in case.

Whiskerpaw found the said tom in the storage area in the medicine cats' den with his muzzle buried into a storage hole.

"Mintshard…StarClan wouldn't let a fire occur in our camp…right?" Whiskerpaw asked.

Mintshard snorted, blowing out several leaves of marigold in the process, and swiftly removed his muzzle from the hole. "Of course not, Whiskerpaw. What would make you think something like that?" he asked as he scraped the marigold back into the hole with his claws.

"Just…curious," Whiskerpaw nonchalantly replied. "I'm just saying…hypothetically."

Mintshard rolled his eyes. "Hypothetically, we would be prepared in case there was a fire. Also, it's nearly time for another drill. Hurray." The medicine cat snorted. "Plus, it's been raining a lot and that helps keep the ground and trees moist, so it's unlikely that a fire would happen. But, if it helps, I'll alert Goldenstar about a fire threat anyway."

"Thank you, Mintshard," Whiskerpaw gratefully thanked.

"You can thank me by checking the marigold supply," Mintshard snapped gently. "Take someone with you and you might as well check on the feverfew and coltsfoot while you're at it."

"Will do," Whiskerpaw replied and made her way out of the den beneath the tree roots. Still, Mintshard's reassurance didn't quite satisfy her worries. What if Mintshard was wrong and what happened in her dreams really did happen?


	4. Chapter 2

**The good thing about being sick is that you can spend the day typing! :D**

**Warriors © Erin Hunter**

**Cats/Clans © ME**

* * *

><p>After leaving the medicine cats' den, Whiskerpaw sought out a cat that wasn't too busy to assist her with herb gathering. Her sister, Fallsriver, emerged from the warriors' den and Whiskerpaw happily trotted towards her.<p>

"Hey, Fallsriver," Whiskerpaw called as she neared her littermate. "Mintshard wants me to go gather some herbs and he wants me to bring some cat. Care to join me?"

Fallsriver's green eyes happily lit up. "Of course, Whiskerpaw!" The two littermates made their way towards the entrance of the camp. "Gosh, it seems like _moons_ since we last chatted."

"It sure has," Whiskerpaw agreed. The two left the camp and Whiskerpaw led on the familiar path towards the river.

"So…" Fallsriver meowed, thinking about something to talk about. "How's training going?"

"Pretty good," Whiskerpaw responded, carefully maneuvering over a large tree root. "Mintshard's a great mentor."

"I heard his tongue is worse than his bite."

"Hah, yeah…but he doesn't mean half the stuff he yaps about," Whiskerpaw purred. She missed conversing with her family and they rarely got to because of their busy and diverse schedules; while she would be stuck doing medicine cat chores, the rest of her family would be busy doing warrior stuff.

"Do you sometimes wish that you could be a warrior?" Fallsriver suddenly asked, as if she were reading her sister's mind.

Whiskerpaw pondered on that thought for a heartbeat before replying. "Some days I do, but there would be no way I could with this injury." She lifted her stiff right front paw. Due to the injury to her shoulder, Whiskerpaw's paw never fully healed correctly and it became stiff at the shoulder joint, making it hard to do anything that had to do with said paw. She often wobbled whenever she walked and had to use her other paw for the majority of the time. Seeing that she would have a hard time training to become a warrior, her parents and Mintshard agreed that she would train to become a medicine cat instead. Whiskerpaw was, in a way, forced to go down the path she was now on because of her injury. Whenever she brought up her dislike for her fate to another cat, they would often remind her of her father and his awry paw.

_But at least my father can still hunt and fight like normal cats! I would give anything to become a warrior like the rest of my family!_

"But I know that I have no other choice." Whiskerpaw ended with that statement.

"It's such a shame, really," Fallsriver went on. "I sometimes think about the times we all could've had with you as a warrior. Training would've been so much fun; Springfox was always a show off and Quailheart was always too quiet. But, being a medicine cat is important, too!"

"Thanks for your support," Whiskerpaw mumbled sarcastically.

"How much longer until you get your medicine cat name?" Fallsriver asked, completely unaware of Whiskerpaw's previous statement.

"I'm not sure," Whiskerpaw replied. "I haven't asked."

"Well, I think _you_ deserve it!" Fallsriver cheerfully replied. "Mintshard's a minnow-brain for now giving you your name yet."

"I suppose I'll get it when he feels like I've earned it," Whiskerpaw suggested. She shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess we'll have to see how long that takes."

"Oh, hey! Did you hear that argument Rustpaw and Leafpaw had earlier this morning?" Fallsriver suddenly asked, moving on to another topic that peeked her interest.

"Yeah."

"Privetdrop was right to chastise them," Fallsriver went on, failing to notice her sister's lack of interest. "Those two can be a real pain in the tail. Privetdrop was so brave to snap at them; those two deserved it! It's Privetdrop just so amazing?"  
>"Wasn't he your mentor or something?"<p>

"He was! He was such a great mentor, probably because our father taught him a lot! Privetdrop knows _so_ much and he even made the journey here!"

"So did a lot of other cats."

"Yeah, but he did it as a _kit_ with his littermates! Imagine how tough the journey was for him."

"It must've been pretty hard."

"Exactly! It's hard to believe that Moonshadow's his father. I mean, Moonshadow's our deputy and all, but he's still pretty obnoxious."

_I could tell you who else is being 'pretty obnoxious' right now._

"Do you think Privetdrop likes me?"

"Who knows what goes in a tom's mind."

"We've been spending a lot of time together lately and he's a great friend."

"So the whole Clan's noticed."

"Really?"

"If the elders are gossiping about it, then every cat knows about it."

"Wow! Now I only wonder if Privetdrop returns my feelings…"

Whiskerpaw suppressed a groan. She may love her sister, but that doesn't mean that she has to like her constant gossip! She was grateful when they reached the marigold patch by the river and she made her sister carry a bundle of marigold flowers so she couldn't chatter like a finch. After a quick check on the feverfew and coltsfoot plants for continued growth, Whiskerpaw and Fallsriver made their way towards camp.

"Thanks for assisting me, Fallsriver!" Whiskerpaw cheerfully meowed once they brought the collected herbs in the medicine cats' den.

"No problem, Whiskerpaw," the brown tabby and white she-cat happily purred. She gently rested her tail on Whiskerpaw's slim shoulder for a heartbeat. "We should hang out more often!" With that statement, the young warrior left the den.

"Did you fetch the marigold, Whiskerpaw?" Mintshard asked as he appeared from the storage area of the den.

"Yes and there's still plenty left at the patch," Whiskerpaw replied as she passed the marigold to him.

"Excellent," Mintshard meowed approvingly as he sniffed the marigold. "How were the feverfew and coltsfoot patches?"

"Still growing."

"Good," Mintshard nodded. "Soon we'll have to collect them, but not all at once. We still need them to be fresh so they can last leaf-bare. It won't be long now until the snow starts to fall, but we still got another moon before that." He began to pad towards the entrance. "I'm going to fetch something to eat. Do you want anything?"

"Something would be nice," Whiskerpaw replied. After her mentor left, she picked up the marigold and waddled towards the storage area behind the thick roots of the tree above her. Scrapping off fronds of dried reeds and ferns, she placed the flowers in the whole with a bunch of dried petals. By the time she replaced the reeds and ferns, Mintshard was back with two squirrels in his jaws.

"A couple of warriors finally made themselves useful and actually caught something edible," Mintshard remarked after he set the squirrels down. "And I thought hedgehogs would fly before then." He took a bite out of the prey and noticed that Whiskerpaw hadn't touched hers yet. "Is there something bothering you?"

"Fallsriver brought it up," Whiskerpaw grumbled.

"Ah, the 'it's a shame you are a medicine cat' and such, right?" Mintshard knowingly suggested. "You better get used to it because it will never go away. Cats will always bring that subject up. We could be warriors like everyone else, but our kind is required in a Clan."

"But…it always bothers me how I was kind of forced to become a medicine cat," Whiskerpaw objected. "If it weren't for my injury, we wouldn't be having his conversation."

"If it weren't for your injury, I wouldn't have the pleasure in teaching you," Mintshard snapped, but his voice then turned softer. "I believe that it was always your destiny to become my apprentice, Whiskerpaw, and, I hate to admit it thought, but I enjoyed teaching you. It makes these long days seem shorter when you have someone to talk to and share your feelings with. On the subject of littermates, my sisters said the same thing when I first became Quailfeather's apprentice. The words hurt, but just know that the Clan would be nothing without a medicine cat."

"But you weren't forced to become one," Whiskerpaw pointed out. Though she was touched by her mentor's surprisingly soft words, she still felt as if she had no other choice but to follow this path.

Mintshard sighed. "I'll let you in on a little secret that few cats know of," he began. "I kind of felt like I was forced to become a medicine cat, too."

"Really?" Whiskerpaw asked, astonished at her mentor's confession. She had always thought that Mintshard chose to become a medicine cat.

"Really. I had been training with my mentor, a tom named Wingflight, for about a moon. I wasn't the best apprentice; my crouches were always sloppy and I always lost when we practice fighting with the other apprentices. I only caught a few pieces of prey in that entire moon while my sisters caught tons. I felt like Wingflight was wasting his time trying to teach me anything and I could tell he didn't like training me from his expressions. Even my parents tried talking with him, but it was no use. No matter what he tried, I just couldn't be a warrior. I wasn't getting the moves correctly and my attitude turned sour because of that.

"During that time, I was on a border patrol with my mentor a few other cats when we were ambushed by PineClan, RowanClan now. I was unable to defend myself and was quickly ganged up by a few other apprentices. We lost the fight and Wingflight brought me to Quailfeather. He fixed my wounds and told everyone that I had to stay in the medicine cat's den for a few days to recover. Over the course of the next few sunrises, I observed him treat other cats and was flabbergasted to know that I memorized every herb he used and their treatments.

"Quailfeather was pleased of my knowledge and insisted that I become his apprentice. I denied saying that I wanted to become a warrior like the rest of my family. After considering his offer and recounting the previous moon a few sunrises later, I finally accepted his offer and became his apprentice. It turns out that I was much better at healing than I was at fighting, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I had no choice but to become his apprentice

"When Quailfeather died a few moons later, I was still an apprentice with the suffix –paw. But if it weren't for my failed warrior training, then WaterfallClan wouldn't have a medicine cat. So you see Whiskerpaw, sometimes we have no choice but to accept our destinies. Of course, this doesn't mean that we can't complain about it, either!"

* * *

><p>Whiskerpaw found it hard to sleep that night; her mind was full of Mintshard's confession and the nightmare from the previous night. She decided that a nice night stroll would put her to sleep. Careful not to awake her slumbering mentor, Whiskerpaw left the den and breathed in the crisp cold air. Mintshard was right; it wasn't long until leaf-bare arrived with its chilly weather.<p>

"Greetings, Whiskerpaw." A chilly voice as cold as ice spoke behind her. Whiskerpaw whirled around and found herself face-to-face with a pale gray tabby tom with bright green eyes as sharp as mint.

"You're Quailfeather, aren't you?" Whiskerpaw asked once she found her voice. She recognized the tabby tom from her dreams as a kit.

"So you remember me," Quailfeather purred. "That's good."

"Am…am I dreaming?" Whiskerpaw dared to ask as she looked around at the camp. It seemed realistic enough to be real.

"Indeed, and I have a message for you from StarClan," Quailfeather meowed.

"Uh, shouldn't Mintshard be receiving his dream instead of me?" Whiskerpaw couldn't help but question.

"As much as I would've liked to visit my former apprentice, this message is for you to hear," Quailfeather responded. He flicked his tail and suddenly the camp was lit with fire much like her previous dream. The deadly tongues danced in the night as they torched the camp and tried to lick the sky.

"D-Did you send that dream last night?" Whiskerpaw demanded. She knew that this was a dream and that the flames weren't real, but the image still haunted her.

"All dreams come from StarClan," Quailfeather simply replied before vanishing in the shadows, leaving only his scent and voice behind.

"Wait, come back! Quailfeather!" Whiskerpaw yowled. She glanced back and saw the flames advance towards her. She couldn't help but succumb to her fear and retreat backwards towards the camp entrance.

She heard Quailfeather's chilly voice before the blaze engulfed her.

_The flames of darkness will destroy the forest to its roots, leaving nothing but a fire for the future. Nothing you can do can stop this blaze as heroes fall and enemies rise…_


	5. Chapter 3

**Whoo, another chapter! :D**

**Warriors © Erin Hunter**

**Cats/Clans © Me**

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><p>"Heroes will fall an enemies will rise?" Mintshard echoed.<p>

Whiskerpaw nodded numbly. She had told her mentor all about her dream from the previous night, about how Quailfeather appeared and about the ominous prophecy she had received. She gazed at her mentor's puzzled expression before he got to his paws. "We better let Goldenstar and Moonshadow know."

With an obedient nod, Whiskerpaw followed her mentor out of their burrow. It was just a little after dawn and cats were gathering in the clearing, waiting for Moonshadow, who sat underneath the Stonecleft, to organize the day's patrols.

"Cliffjumper, take Tallstalk, Moonshine and Rustpaw and check the RowanClan border," Moonshadow ordered. "Leopardnose, take Shadowclaw and Quailheart to renew the MeadowClan border. Otterwhisker, lead Nightstrike, Leafpaw and Mousethorn on a hunting patrol in the river. Leapingriver, lead another with Privetdrop, Stalkshine and Fallsriver and try to find some prey in the forest."

By now, the dawn patrol, consisting of Meltingice, Auburnwhisker, Reedleg and Springfox, padded into camp towards the gathering cats.

Moonshadow's ears flicked when he saw returning dawn patrol. "Anything to report, Meltingice?"

"We detected RowanClan scents drifting towards our side of the border," Meltingice reported as Springfox flexed his claws. "We didn't see any signs of them crossing the border, but their scent was strong."

Moonshadow nodded. "Cliffjumper, make sure you and your patrol are careful when you patrol later today."

"Will do, Moonshadow," the dark ginger tabby tom nodded.

"The evening patrol will consist of me, Privetdrop and Quailheart. Ryeleaf, you will lead us," Moonshadow commanded. "That is all for now."

As the cats left to do their own thing, Whiskerpaw whispered to Mintshard. "Is Moonshine expecting kits?" She couldn't help but notice that the dark gray tabby she-cat was looking quite plump.

Mintshard glanced at the she-cat, who was sharing tongues with Tallstalk. "Perhaps. We won't know for certain until she comes to us or her kits grow. It's best not to approach a she-cat and ask if they are expecting until you are absolutely positive. You know how cranky expecting she-cats can be."

Whiskerpaw nodded, remembering how crabby Dustberry was when she was expecting Cliffjumper's kits six moons ago. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement; if Moonshine was expecting, then it would be her first time helping a she-cat give birth! She was still recovering from her injuries when Dustberry gave birth moons ago.

But she couldn't help but feel a ping of worry as well; if her prophecy was true, then her unborn kits could be in danger! Perhaps she should warn her?

By the time Whiskerpaw finished her thoughts, she and Mintshard were already at the leader's den at the top of Stonecleft. They waited outside the cave before hearing a quiet and calm "enter" and walking into the cave. The stone beneath Whiskerpaw's pads felt cool to the touch and in the faint light she could make out her father grooming his face on his nest.

"What can I do for you, Mintshard and Whiskerpaw?" Goldenstar asked after drawing his awry paw over his right ear.

"Whiskerpaw had a dream last night from Quailfeather," Mintshard explained, which gained Goldenstar's immediate attention when the former medicine cat's name was mentioned, "along with a prophecy. 'The flames of darkness will destroy the forest to its roots, leaving nothing but a fire for the future. Nothing you can do can stop this blaze as heroes fall and enemies rise.'"

Goldenstar paused for a moment, as if he were in deep thought. "What do you think it means?" he asked after a few heartbeats of silence.

"I believe it's a warning of a fire," Mintshard explained. "Whiskerpaw's also been having dreams of a blaze destroying the camp lately."

The golden tabby tom nodded in agreement. "That's what I think, too…but the prophecy does sound ominous. Did Quailfeather mention anything else important to you, Whiskerpaw?" The Clan leader turned his attention from his medicine to his youngest daughter.

Whiskerpaw shook her head. "Not that I can recall."

"Then it's settled," Goldenstar replied. "I'll let Moonshadow know and we'll have our emergency fire escape route training soon. That way, we'll be ready when this blaze comes."

"I think there's something more to this prophecy, though," Whiskerpaw suddenly brought up. "I believe StarClan wouldn't just send a prophecy if there was a threat of a fire."

"Then else do you think the prophecy means?" Goldenstar asked.

"A potential danger perhaps," Whiskerpaw explained. "The part when it says, 'heroes fall and enemies rise' sounds as if something is coming."

"Another danger?" Goldenstar abruptly asked. He sighed and shook his head in disbelief. "It seems that the Clans can never have peace for too long."

"It comes with the life of a warrior," Mintshard added.

"Keep me updated when you find out new information," Goldenstar ordered. He dismissed them with a wave of his shortened tail. "Also…don't say anything about this to our Clanmates. We shouldn't worry them with so little information."

"Understood, Goldenstar," Mintshard agreed. He gently ushered Whiskerpaw out of the leader's den with his tail. He could sense his apprentice's displeasure. "Trust your father's judgment; he knows what he's doing."

"It just sounds like there's so much more to this prophecy than anyone is considering," Whiskerpaw explained as they walked down the stones.

"Perhaps StarClan will send you more dreams tonight," Mintshard suggested.

Whiskerpaw shook her head. "I wonder if I'll ever get a peaceful sleep."

"Hey, Whiskerpaw!" Quailheart called over from the small stream that flowed through the camp before Mintshard could reply. "Can you come over here for a quick second?"

The medicine cat apprentice looked expectantly at her mentor, who merely nodded, before trotting to her brother. Quailheart was sitting next to Springfox, who was licking his paw.

"Springfox is injured," he tattled to his sister.

"No I'm not," Springfox snapped before licking his paw once more. "I just tore a claw out."

"And you have wounds on your shoulders," Quailheart insisted. "What happened on your patrol?"

"I got caught in a thistle patch, alright?" Springfox grumbled.

"Let me see your paw," Whiskerpaw demanded. Her eldest brother muttered something under his breath before showing Whiskerpaw his left paw. A claw was missing and blood was slowly dripping out where said claw used to be. It looked painful, but Springfox was showing no sign of emotion. "I'll fetch some cobwebs and marigold for that and for your wounds as well." She sniffed the fresh wounds on his shoulders. "Any cat would've thought that you were fighting someone."

"I wasn't fighting someone," Springfox insisted.

"Then where did they come from?" Quailheart pressed. "They look more like claw wounds than thistle marks."

"What, are you now a medicine cat or something?" Springfox snapped.

Whiskerpaw flinched physically. Out of all her siblings, Springfox was the least supportive of her decision to train under Mintshard. His excuse was that Whiskerpaw could still hunt and fight like a normal cat, but in her own way. Perhaps he saw a medicine cat not fully a warrior or was it just his pride getting in the way of his mind? Whiskerpaw knew her brother was a prideful tom, his suffix –fox was earned because he fought off a fox that tried to eat Cragkit when she wandered away from the camp.

"Just talk, Springfox," Quailheart snapped. Unlike his brother, Quailheart fully supported Whiskerpaw's career choice. The sympathetic tom was always kind to everyone and rarely raised his voice unless he meant it.

"Fine," the brown tabby tom growled. "I woke up with these wounds, alright?"

"How is that possible?" Whiskerpaw asked.

"I'm not sure," Springfox uneasily replied. "I swear I was asleep all night."

"Well, let me fetch some supplies," Whiskerpaw meowed. "We'll worry about this later." She left with that and immediately returned to the medicine cats' den. Mintshard wasn't inside so she padded towards the storage area in the back. She was surprised to hear scuffling noises coming from the area.

"Mintshard? I thought you weren't here?" Whiskerpaw called as she neared the entrance behind a tree root. "Springfox has some minor wounds, so I was going to—" She paused when she saw a ginger tabby she-cat with her head buried into a small storage hole. A dark brown tabby she-cat was next to her with her tail tapping impatiently.

"What are you two doing?" Whiskerpaw snapped, surprised to see the Clan's youngest members messing with her herbs.

"Cragkit and Dustberry have a tummy ache," Adderkit replied nonchalantly, as if that answered everything.

Cragkit removed her head from the hole with yellow petals hanging out of her mouth. She chewed on them nosily. "Are you sure these are going to heal my tummy ache, Adderkit?"

"Cragkit, spit those out now!" Whiskerpaw growled, yanking the kit back by her scruff.

"Why?" Cragkit moaned, already swallowing the petals.

"What did you eat?" Whiskerpaw questioned, sniffing the hole. The entire marigold supply she had collected yesterday with Fallsriver was gone or damaged by the kit's clumsy paws. "You clumsy kit! I just gathered those yesterday!"

"Sorry…" Cragkit whimpered, crouching down and moaning. "Now my tummy hurts even more!"

Biting back a sigh, Whiskerpaw picked a few leaves from a different storage hole and gave them to Cragkit. "Eat these. They will heal your belly."

Cragkit obediently licked the leaves up and groaned. "But it hurts even more now!" A heartbeat later, she vomited the contents of her stomach onto an ivy leaf Whiskerpaw had placed down in front of her.

"Good," Whiskerpaw meowed after sniffing the vomit. "I'll give you some watermint to ease your bellyache." She laid a few bright green leaves in front of Cragkit.

Cragkit shook her head. "No, the last herbs made me feel worse!"

"But you feel better now, don't you?"

The ginger tabby thought for a moment. "Yeah…I guess…" She then bent down to lick the leaves up.

"I'll stop by to give Dustberry some," Whiskerpaw meowed before leading the two kits out of the den. Mintshard was outside and was shocked to see the two kits inside their den.

"What are they doing here?" Mintshard demanded.

"They were trying to find something to ease their bellyache and Cragkit both destroyed and eaten our marigold supply," Whiskerpaw explained.

"How could you?" Mintshard snapped at the two kits. "They were just gathered yesterday!"

"Can't you just gather some more?" Adderkit asked. "I mean, they are plants."

"Plants stop growing in leaf-bare," Mintshard hissed. "And it's leaf-fall, and that means we have to stock up our supplies for the coming winter. What if that was all that we had left of marigold? What if there's a battle and cats are injured? How can we properly treat their wounds without this vital herb?"

"W-We're sorry, Mintshard," Cragkit whimpered.

"What's going on here, Mintshard?" Cliffjumper asked as he approached with Moonshadow at his side, the former of them returning from their border patrol.

"Your kits just destroyed all of our marigold supply!" Mintshard hissed.

Cliffjumper flicked his right ear. "It's not my fault that Dustberry can't keep a proper eye on them."

"Dustberry's having a bellyache," Whiskerpaw explained. "The kits were trying to help."

"So why don't you step up and behave like a proper father-figure to your kits?" Mintshard snapped and took a few pawsteps forward to the dark ginger tabby tom.

Cliffjumper growled dangerously. "Don't tell me how to act, Mintshard. Your job is to heal us, not to tell us out to act."

"It doesn't help if you aren't teaching your kits not to eat our supply!" Mintshard snarled, his black tabby fur rising. "What if that was all that we had left? It's obvious that we can't go through a battle without minnow-brained warriors getting themselves injured."

Cliffjumper took a pawstep forward so that his nose almost touched Mintshard's. "Watch it, medicine cat."

"Easy, you two," Moonshadow gently growled, sensing the rising tension between the two toms. "There's no need to get into a fight."

"Only if this cat can't keep his trap shut," Cliffjumper insisted, not looking away from Mintshard's eyes.

"Only if said cat is speaking the truth."

The older warrior hissed and raked his thorn-sharp claws against Mintshard's neck. The medicine cat reeled away from the blow and was unprepared as Cliffjumper launched himself at the younger tom. Letting his rage fuel his attacks, Cliffjumper continued to injure his medicine cat. Mintshard, struggling to recover from each attack, was unable to defend himself.

"Cliffjumper, stop!" Moonshadow ordered. He managed to grab a hold of the raging warrior's scruff and yank him off of Mintshard's wounded body. Tallstalk and Auburnwhisker raced to help the deputy shove Cliffjumper away from Mintshard.

Mintshard was lying on his flank, deep claw wounds laced around his body with a severe wound on his neck. Cragkit and Adderkit were whimpering after they witnessed the brutal attack from their father.

Whiskerpaw, however, was completely quiet, frozen in place. Time seemed to have slowed down when her mentor was attacked and she couldn't remove her gaze from his bleeding body.

"Mintshard!" Dustberry's sharp call was heard from Whiskerpaw's right and the dark gray tabby she-cat pressed her muzzle against his neck fur. More cats continued to gather around the medicine cat, staring in horror and unsure of what to do.

"Whiskerpaw, do something!" Moonshadow snapped, his amber eyes blazing for what his Clanmate had done.

Whiskerpaw shook her head to clear her thoughts; Mintshard was in trouble and he needed her help. "R-Right!" she stammered before racing to the medicine cats' den. She fumbled around in the storage area, unsure of what she needed.

_Get a grip, Whiskerpaw! Your mentor is dying!_

"I don't know what I need!" she cried.

_Relax, Whiskerpaw._ A voice called to her racing and blurry thoughts. _Think hard. _

"W-Who said that?" Whiskerpaw called. The voice sounded comforting and familiar. She paused and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths and suddenly her mind cleared.

_That's it! Now, you don't have any marigold, so what's the next best thing that you have?_

"Uhh…" Whiskerpaw mumbled, glancing around at the herbs. "Tormentil will help…and so will horsetail."

_Fetch them and quickly. Mintshard doesn't have much time left._

After gathering the small yellow flowers and the fluffy stems, she raced as fast as her limp would make her out of the den and prayed that she wasn't too late.

* * *

><p><strong>Will I kill Mintshard? Dun, dun, DUN! Gotta love those cliffhangers...well...I do. :3<strong>


	6. Chapter 4

**Another chapter within a week? That's never happened before! **

**Warriors © Erin Hunter**

**Cats/Clans © Me**

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><p>By the time Whiskerpaw arrived at the scene, Moonshadow and Goldenstar had secured a small perimeter around Mintshard's bleeding body.<p>

"Give Whiskerpaw some space," Goldenstar ordered as he gently directed Shadowclaw and Rustpaw back a few pawsteps.

Whiskerpaw placed the herbs down and examined her mentor. He was lying on his flank and the most major wound was a dripping cut on his neck. The blood stained his black coat, turning it into a dark and deep crimson color. There were other wounds, much smaller and less serious, around his shoulders and face, but Whiskerpaw knew she had to treat the neck wound first.

As she pressed her front paws against his neck to attempt to cease the bleeding, she lowered her ear towards Mintshard's face and was relieved to hear him breathing short and ragged breaths.

_He must be going through a shock, but I can't leave him just yet!_

"Rustpaw, can you fetch some cobwebs out of the den?" Whiskerpaw called, not removing her paws from Mintshard's neck. Of course she would forget an important tool when her mentor was dying.

"Right away!" the dark ginger tom with black spots dashed away into the tree roots. Whiskerpaw heard his approaching pawsteps a couple of heartbeats later and she saw him place a bundle down next to her.

"Thanks," she muttered and grabbed a pawful. She pressed the webs against Mintshard's neck, hoping for the bleeding to slow down. The cobwebs were quickly soaked with blood and Whiskerpaw had to replace them with a fresh batch. After repeating the process twice, Whiskerpaw was relieved when the bleeding slowed down enough for her to remove her paws.

_Great! Now, chew up the tormentil and the horsetail into a poultice and place it on the wound._

Following the voice's directions, she chewed up a mouthful of the herbs and spat it on the cobwebs, trusting that the juices would soak through to the wound.

_Place more cobwebs, just to make sure and treat the other wounds._

Whiskerpaw nodded to herself and silently placed more cobwebs on top of the poultice. She sniffed Mintshard's other minor wounds and treated them with more tormentil and horsetail.

"There goes our tormentil and horsetail supply," Whiskerpaw muttered under her breath as she placed the last scrap of the yellow flower on Mintshard's cheek. She finished with a cobweb before retreating backwards.

_Well done._

_Thanks, Quailfeather._

"I…I think he'll be okay, but he needs to be in the medicine cats' den where I can keep an eye on him," Whiskerpaw announced, noting that the tension in the air was so thick that it could be cut with a swipe of a claw.

Moonshadow and Ryeleaf moved in and gently carried the medicine cat between their shoulders.

"Careful not to open up his wounds!" Whiskerpaw called after them. She felt her father's small tail caress her cheek.

"You did well," he purred. "Mintshard would've been proud of you."

"You say that as if he's going to die."

"I trust your judgment."

"How could you?" A voice screeched, ending the moment between Goldenstar and his youngest daughter. It was Dustberry, and the very furious queen was hissing at her former mate. "My brother could've died if it weren't for Whiskerpaw! How could you attack our own medicine cat?"

Cliffjumper snorted. "The scoundrel should've kept his mouth shut," he replied.

Dustberry gasped and then growled. "I don't know what I ever saw in you, Cliffjumper, but I will always cherish our kits. Perhaps it's a good thing that you are never around to spend time with them; I wouldn't want them turning into a bad example like you!" With that, she turned around and ushered her kits towards the nursery.

"She…does have a point, Cliffjumper," Goldenstar meowed, padding up to the dark ginger tabby tom.

"She shouldn't poke her nose into my business," he snapped.

"And I know you will enjoy spending time with the elders, treating their ticks and changing their bedding," Goldenstar growled. "Because that's what you will be doing for the next moon. Pineheart taught you better than that."

Cliffjumper opened his mouth as if to retort, but thought better of it.

Whiskerpaw decided that it was best to check up on Moonshadow and Ryeleaf in the den and took the chance to leave. She found the two toms gently lowering Mintshard into his nest.

"Thanks," she mewed. Ryeleaf nodded before he left, but Moonshadow stayed.

"The Clan will look to you now that Mintshard's recovering," the Clan deputy mumbled, guilt lingering in his voice. "You'll need to be a strong as ever, but your father and I will assist you in any way possible."

Whiskerpaw paused for a moment, thinking about Moonshadow's words. She recalled how he, her father and Mintshard practically ran the Clan together, often consulting with one another before any major decision was made. Now…that was her role. "Could you…ask the apprentices to fetch Moonshadow more bedding?"

Moonshadow dipped his head. "Of course." He left without another word.

Claws scrapped the entranceway as two more cats walked in.

"We're…sorry about Mintshard, Whiskerpaw."

It was Quailheart and she suspected that Springfox was with him. She had completely forgotten about Springfox's wounds.

"Sorry, I forgot about you toms," Whiskerpaw apologized. She went into the storage area and fumbled around. Her supply of marigold, horsetail and tormentil was completely dry so she grabbed some comfrey root and more cobwebs. _I'll have to gather some more herbs later_. She chewed up the tangy root and applied it to Springfox's shoulders and claw wound. "Come back tomorrow so I can apply some more," she ordered.

"Thanks, Whiskerpaw," Springfox mumbled. He paused before following Quailheart out of the den. "You…you did great out there."

"Thanks, Springfox," Whiskerpaw replied and she couldn't help but beam. It was the first time her oldest brother complemented her career choice. Perhaps it meant that he was finally beginning to accept her choice?

Whiskerpaw spent the rest of the day sitting by Mintshard's side, reapplying fresh cobwebs when they were soaked by blood and even applied a dry oak leaf on his neck, just to make sure it wouldn't get infected. Rustpaw and Leafpaw arrived later with bundles of soft moss and feathers from the other cats.

As she applied the bedding underneath Mintshard's slumbering form, her mother padded into the den.

"How are you doing, Whiskerpaw?" Leapingriver gently asked.

"Mintshard's doing well," Whiskerpaw automatically replied. "There hasn't been any sign of infection, praise StarClan for that, and the bleeding has stopped."

"I didn't ask if Mintshard was doing well," Leapingriver soothingly chided. "I asked how _you_ are doing."

Whiskerpaw sighed. "Fine, I guess."

Leapingriver paused for a heartbeat then grunted. "Are you coming to the Gathering, tonight?"

"Fish-dung, I forgot about the Gathering!" Whiskerpaw exclaimed.

"We'll need a medicine cat to come, and Mintshard's in no shape to come," Leapingriver explained. "I'll watch over him while you go."

"But what if he—"

She was interrupted by her mother. "Mintshard will be fine," Leapingriver gently scolded. "You've treated him well."

"I just hope that it's enough," Whiskerpaw whispered before speaking louder. "I'll come."

* * *

><p>It was nearly moonhigh by the time Whiskerpaw and the other WaterfallClan cats arrived at the Great Oak, an enormous oak tree in the center of a small group of much smaller oak trees. Goldenstar was in the lead, his tail beckoning his cats to come closer into the empty clearing.<p>

"Wow, we're the first ones!" Stalkshine chirped as she ran ahead and marveled at the not usually empty area around the Great Oak.

"Geez, stop acting like a kit, Stalkshine!" Tallstalk purred.

"Oh, you're just grumpy because Moonshine's not here," Stalkshine gently shot back at her denmate.

"It is unusual for this place to be empty," Shadowclaw noted.

"It feels…odd," Quailheart commented.

"Well it looks like we're not going to be lonely for any longer," Ryeleaf meowed as the scent of RowanClan flooded the Gathering Place. Rumblestar arrived with his Clan behind him. The great RowanClan leader's fur was ruffled and shaggy, as if he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in moons. Prattlecreek, his deputy, was next to Rumblestar, as if he were as frail as ice.

"Greetings Rumblestar and Prattlecreek," Goldenstar greeted as Moonshadow dipped his head in respect. "It's a lovely night for a Gathering, isn't it?"

Rumblestar muttered something under his breath and didn't reply.

Prattlecreek looked conflicted. "Eh, yes, yes it is, Goldenstar!" she cheerfully replied. "RowanClan's been grateful for the cool weather."

"Ech, can you WaterfallClan cats close your mouths?" a tom named Fadedheart grumbled to Rustpaw. "This place already reeks of fish."

"Such a shame," Rustpaw sarcastically replied to the white and gray tom. "It is a lovely fragrance."

"To a WaterfallClan cat, maybe," Fadedheart mumbled.

A tom named Prideheart padded up to Mousethorn. "Greetings, Mousethorn. How's prey running?"

"It's actually _swimming_ well, Prideheart!" Mousethorn joked. "How are you fitting in to RowanClan?"

Prideheart shrugged. "It beats the life of a loner and I know that Fadedheart, Featherspots and Crowstripe benefit greatly from it."

"That's great to hear!" Mousethorn replied.

"Hey, Whiskerpaw!" Chervilpad, the RowanClan medicine cat, called and trotted towards the pale golden speckled she-cat with her apprentice, Crowstripe, behind her. She looked around, as if expecting somebody. "Where's Mintshard?"

"Oh, uh…he couldn't make it tonight," Whiskerpaw stammered. "He's, uh, he's really sick!"

"Oh, that's a shame," Chervilpad meowed. "What does he have?"

"Uh…a mild cough that he will hopefully recover from soon!" Whiskerpaw lied. There was no way she was going to let an enemy Clan know that Mintshard was severely injured by a Clanmate.

The pale brown tabby she-cat tipped her head slightly to the left. "Well…make sure you give him catmint so that it doesn't turn into whitecough, or StarClan forbid, greencough."

"Thanks for the advice," Whiskerpaw muttered.

Chervilpad looked like she wanted to say more, but yowls not far alerted to them that MeadowClan had arrived. "Oh, greetings Frozenwhisker and Pigeonpaw!" she called as she walked over to meet them.

Crowstripe slightly glared at Whiskerpaw for a few heartbeats. "You better make sure that you treat Mintshard well, Whiskerpaw," he growled.

"What gives you the right to give me orders?" Whiskerpaw demanded. She never liked Crowstripe, mostly because of his stuck up attitude.

"_I_ have my full name," the black tom with a lighter stripe down his back sneered.

Whiskerpaw rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and we're the same age, minnow-brain."

"Perhaps Mintshard doesn't think you're good enough."

"He does, too!" Whiskerpaw shot back, though she couldn't help but wonder if he was somewhat right. _Does Mintshard not think I'm good enough?_

"Crowstripe!" Chervilpad's call ceased the argument between the two medicine cat apprentices.

"See you around, half-Clan," Crowstripe meowed before heading towards his mentor.

_And you're half loner! Just because my father's mother was half-Clan, doesn't mean that I am!_

"Hey, Whiskerpaw," Pigeonpaw, the MeadowClan medicine cat apprentice, greeted. "Crowstripe's such a jerk, isn't he?"

"He and Fadedheart."

"Aw, Fadedheart's not so bad compared to Crowstripe," the gray and white spotted tom joked. "They just despise each other."

Whiskerpaw let out an _mrrow_ of amusement. Unlike Crowstripe, Whiskerpaw liked Frozenwhisker's apprentice. "So…any news to share?" she asked.

"Yeah, I got my name two moonrises ago!" Pigeonpaw announced. "Frozenwhisker decided not to wait until the half-moon meeting to give me my name."

"That's awesome!" Whiskerpaw purred. "What is it?"

"Guess!" Pigeonpaw's golden eyes lit up in the moonlight.

"Uh…Pigeonfeather?" Whiskerpaw guessed.

Pigeonpaw shook his head. "Nope!"

"Erm…Pigeonspots?"

"Guess again!"

"Pigeonwing?"

"N—actually, yes!" Pigeonwing purred. "Nice guess!"

_Wow, even Pigeonwing got his name and I haven't…_

The gray and white tom sensed Whiskerpaw's displeasure and his smile dropped. "I heard about Mintshard. I hope he feels better."

"Thanks…" Whiskerpaw mumbled.

"ThistleClan's here!" Otterwhisker yowled, alerting the conversing cats of the other Clan's arrival. Several cats filed into the clearing with Sloestar and Batwing leading them. Sloestar said a few words to the other Clan leaders before they all leapt on top of the tree, signaling the start of the Gathering. The cats quieted down as they grouped closer to the tree, waiting for the first leader to start. Whiskerpaw and Pigeonwing sat next to the other medicine cats and listened.

"ThistleClan is doing well," Sloestar began, her black pelt hidden in the shadows of the tree. "We have two new warriors, Puddletail and Frostwillow!"

"Puddletail! Frostwillow! Puddletail! Frostwillow!" the Clan cats cheered and Whiskerpaw saw a gray and white she-cat and a white tom raise their heads proudly.

"MeadowClan is also doing well," Froststar meowed. "I made a new warrior a few sunrises ago, Sorrelpetal, and our medicine cat apprentice has also received his full name, Pigeonwing!"

"Sorrelpetal! Pigeonwing! Sorrelpetal! Pigeonwing!"

"It's great that you got your full name at the same time as your sister's," Whiskerpaw whispered to the prideful tom.

"Yeah, I was fortunate," Pigeonwing meowed carefully, for he knew that Whiskerpaw's littermates got their names last moon. "You'll get yours soon, I just know it!"

Whiskerpaw touched her nose to his ear in comfort and she nearly missed the end of her father's report.

"—and we have a queen expecting Tallstalk's kits!" Goldenstar finished. Whiskerpaw caught sight of the pale gray tabby tom raising his head boastfully as a few cats congratulated him on becoming a father.

Goldenstar barely finished his report before Rumblestar hissed at him. "Goldenstar, you have a murderer in your Clan!" he snarled.

Goldenstar looked puzzled as a few cats whispered below. "Would you care to clarify your accusations, Rumblestar?" he gingerly asked.

"Mistytail was found dead at our border," Rumblestar snarled. "And she had WaterfallClan scent all around her."

"She had claw marks all over her body," Whiskerpaw heard Fadedheart whisper to Quailheart. "She was undoubtedly killed by a cat."

"How could you tell it was our scent?" Moonshadow called from down below.

"I can never forget WaterfallClan scent!" Rumblestar hissed.

The whispers below the Great Oak grew louder and louder until nearly every cat was in on the discussion. Prattlecreek leapt on to the Great Oak and fervently whispered something into Rumblestar's ear. He growled, but didn't say anything.

"Goldenstar, I apologize for my leader's accusations," Prattlecreek began, "but we did indeed find Mistytail's body at our border with yours and there was WaterfallClan scent on her body. We aren't accusing anything, but if any of your cats knows who did it, please let them come to us. We won't rest until the murderer is found."

Goldenstar snorted. "'We aren't accusing anything'! You clearly think one of my cats killed Mistytail! I am greatly sorry for your loss, but I won't have any of this nonsense!" He raised his voice louder so that it could be heard over the chattering cats. "WaterfallClan, we are leaving! I won't stand here like dead prey and listen to my cats being accused as murderers." With that, he leapt off the tree and furiously padded out of the clearing, his cats following behind. The other Clan cats made a path for the Clan, though some hissed and growled at the fleeing cats.

"Goldenstar, that made us seem weak!" Moonshadow angrily whispered into his leader's ear.

"It's better than my cats being accused as killers," Goldenstar shot back. "None of us would ever kill another cat in cold blood."

Whiskerpaw wasn't so sure with her father's statement, for she saw some of her Clanmates looking guiltily at each other and their paws.


	7. Chapter 5 - Ryeleaf

**This chapter is one of those chapters that I mentioned earlier that focus on a different character's POV and talk about a certain topic. This is one of those chapters. This chapter focuses on Ryeleaf and his thoughts. It's actually based on a true story, except the roles were switched. :3 And it was the first chapter of _The Phoenix_ that I wrote. **

**I hope you enjoy and we'll resume with Whiskerpaw's POV next chapter. **

**Warriors © Erin Hunter**

**Cats/Clans © Me**

* * *

><p>There were some days when Ryeleaf just wanted to sit and relax. This was one of those days. He sat down outside the warriors' den in a shady spot beneath a tall willow. He wrapped his pale brown tabby tail around his flank and rested his chin on his paws. His Clanmates were beginning to return to their nests for the night, but four young cats continued to play in the center of the camp. His two youngest kits, Rustpaw and Leafpaw, were showing off battle moves to Cragkit and Adderkit. It was good that his two kits were distracting the youngest members of the Clan's minds off of what their father did yesterday.<p>

"Now watch closely," Rustpaw began, his dark ginger fur bristling with excitement. "You have to be quick and fast when attacking a MeadowClan warrior. Does anyone know why?"

"Oh, oh, I know, I know!" Adderkit chirped as she bounced up and down.

"Alright, Adderkit," Rustpaw purred.

"It's 'cause they are very fast and you have to be faster to avoid them!" the dark brown tabby she-cat answered.

"That's correct!" Rustpaw replied.

"Well done, Adderkit!" Leafpaw mewed. "Now, I'll pretend that I'm a MeadowClan cat and watch what Rustpaw will do—" Before she could finish her sentence, her older brother had tackled his sister to the ground. "Rustpaw, I wasn't finished!" she snapped.

"You always have to catch your enemy off guard!" Rustpaw smirked as Leafpaw writhed under him. Leafpaw managed to get her hind paws under his belly and she shoved her brother off. It wasn't long until a full-out tussle began between the two littermates with Adderkit and Cragkit watching with wide eyes.

Ryeleaf snorted. His kits could be a pawful, but he could never stop loving them. He remembered when he was their age, playing with Moonshadow and Pineheart outside the apprentices' den. Of course, lots had happened since those early days; Smoke Claw had tried to destroy the Clans twice, the Clans moved to their new home, Goldenstar had become leader of WaterfallClan, and, of course, he had taken Leopardnose as his mate.

The senior warrior's smiled at the thought of his lovely mate. He remembered when he first laid eyes on her when he was just a kit; he thought that she was the most beautiful she-cat he had ever seen. Of course, he was just a kit at the time and had seen many she-cats, but Leopardnose was more beautiful than all of them combined. Ryeleaf remembered how he'd tried to win her over, but the snarky she-cat simply ignored his advances. It was one of the many things that he loved about her; her stubbornness and fiery attitude simply captivated him.

But Ryeleaf wasn't the only cat to capture Leopardnose's heart. He couldn't help but let out a tiny growl when he thought of _Quailfeather_. The older tom somehow won Leopardnose's heart before he did and Ryeleaf was forced to think that her first litter was his own. He couldn't begin to imagine how Leopardnose managed to love the former medicine cat; he remembered how Cedarstep and Moonshadow used to tease the former medicine cat when they were apprentices, though Quailfeather never fought back. Perhaps that is what Leopardnose found in him so attractive; how he preferred to use his talents to heal instead to fight like every other cat in the Clan, how he sacrificed his life to serve his Clan without using his claws, and how he was always…right about things. StarClan definitely chose the right cat to be their medicine cat, but was he the right cat to be Leopardnose's mate?

Ryeleaf could never shake the feeling that Leopardnose always loved Quailfeather more than she loved him. It was a stupid assumption, since Quailfeather has been dead for seasons, but the thought had always been in his heart. He never told Leopardnose because he was afraid she would lash out. She did have her moods. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow and jealousy whenever he saw Mousethorn or Goldenstar; if Quailfeather had never existed, then his _kits_ would've become Clan leader!

That led to another point, did Leopardnose _really_ love him? She _used_ him when Goldenstar and his siblings were first born so that the Clan would think that they were his kits! But after their other litters were born…Ryeleaf didn't know what to think. He remembered how he used to play with Mousethorn, Pumpkinfur, and Goldenstar when they were kits; they used to climb on his back and he'd stomp around the camp like a badger. He used to help them with their training and take them out hunting during the afternoons. All of those happy memories he had with the three toms crumbled when Leopardnose announced that they were not his.

Ryeleaf couldn't help but continue to think angry thoughts. Did Leopardnose really love him? When Quailfeather's kits were born, did she really mean 'I love you'? Were they just empty words to her since she always loved Quailfeather? And what about today; does she still love Quailfeather, or has she really moved on? He'd seen the way those two used to look at each other, and he couldn't help but notice how the way she looked at Quailfeather was so different from the way she looked at him.

When Leopardnose finally accepted his offer to be his mate, Ryeleaf was ecstatic. After all, he had asked many times before, but he was always declined politely. She had always seemed…distant when they first became mates, and Ryeleaf always tried his best to please her. It seemed that no matter what he did had an effect on her glum attitude towards him. After her first litter was born, she started to show affection towards Ryeleaf. Perhaps it was because she wanted her kits to believe that Ryeleaf was their father and that Leopardnose loved him. Were they all lies?

The questions and harsh memories continued to plague his mind, and he didn't notice that Leopardnose was trying to get his attention, or that she was in front of him at all.

"What did you say?" Ryeleaf asked as he snapped out of his mind.

Leopardnose snorted playfully and rolled her eyes. "I said, for the like the thousandth time, are you going to sleep out here or in our nest?"

Ryeleaf paused for a moment before replying. "Actually…do you care to go for a walk first?"

Leopardnose was surprised at his offer, but shook her head. "It's kind of chilly tonight..."

Ryeleaf's heart nearly shattered to a million pieces, and was about to retort when Leopardnose spoke.

"…but I think a nice run will do us some good," she purred and nosed her mate to his paws. "We better go before it gets too cold."

Ryeleaf simply nodded as the two mates quietly padded towards the camp entrance. Auburnwhisker was guarding the camp entrance tonight and he pricked his ears when the two cats approached him.

"We'll be taking a short walk tonight, Auburnwhisker," Ryeleaf assured the warrior.

The golden-brown tom nodded and let the two mates pass. They entered the forest and walked in silence for a few heartbeats.

"I never got the opportunity to ask you how the Gathering was last night," Leopardnose began. "I heard that Rumblestar accused us of killing Mistytail. It's a shame what happened to that poor she-cat, but Rumblestar has no right to accuse us of such things. At least Goldenstar's been adding more patrols to the RowanClan border, although Whiskerpaw's been getting jumpy about something."

Ryeleaf flinched when she mentioned Goldenstar and his kin. Was that all she cared about? "Uh huh."

There was a pregnant pause.

"So…" Leopardnose meowed, breaking the silence once again, and she noticed her mate's lack of a response.

"'So' what?" Ryeleaf asked, perhaps a bit too harsh.

"You seem…upset," the golden and black spotted she-cat commented.

"I'm not upset," Ryeleaf slightly growled, but he knew that he was being a hypocrite. He also knew that Leopardnose noticed it as well.

"Fine," she growled. "Don't tell me what's on your mind." She trotted away towards the river two fox-lengths away and sat down in front of it.

Ryeleaf sighed; he knew that he shouldn't have snapped. Leopardnose was merely being curious, and he had no right to growl at her. He gently padded next to his mate and sat down next to her. He pressed his muzzle against hers and let out a somber purr.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I shouldn't have snapped. I do have something on my mind…"

Leopardnose purred back. "I forgive you, you old fur-ball," she gently teased. She gave him a lick on his ear. "What's on your mind?"

There was a long pause before he spoke his mind. "Leopardnose, these past few years have been the best years of my life," Ryeleaf began and he looked away when he saw her green eyes sparkle. "But…I've always knew that you never really loved me. You've always loved Quailfeather…but never me."

Leopardnose drew her ears back and bore her teeth slightly. "How dare _you_ say that?!"

"Well, believe it or not, it's true!" Ryeleaf snapped back. "I saw how you used to look at him and how you look at me; it's clearly not the same. I saw how your eyes lit up when you heard his voice, how happy you looked to see him. That rarely happened with me. I often wondered if you truly loved me for all of these seasons, and that you only accepted my offer to become my mate just so Quailfeather's kits could have a father. I see how you gaze happily at Goldenstar and Mousethorn and their kits, but you don't have that same affection with our kits; you do give them love and care for them, but it wasn't the same with your first litter. I've often told you how much I've loved you…but you rarely say it back. Do you know how much it hurts to know that your mate doesn't feel the same way towards you? I've tried everything to make you happy, and they never seem to work. If you want…I won't be your mate anymore so you can stop pretending to love me. I won't tell any cat about this…I promise."

Ryeleaf gazed at the dark, but clear river at his paws while he waited for Leopardnose to rip his fur off. Heart-beats passed, but he didn't feel any claw marks on his back. Seizing the moment, Ryeleaf slowly glanced up at his mate and was surprised to see that she was gazing affectionately at him

"Oh, Ryeleaf…" she began and glanced at the river for a few heart-beats. "I never knew that you felt like this…why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I…I was afraid that you would get angry," Ryeleaf simply stated. "But…I couldn't take it any longer."

"I understand." Leopardnose continued to gaze at the river, avoiding his leaf-green gaze. "You are somewhat right, and somewhat wrong. It is true…I did love Quailfeather and I miss him dearly. He was my best friend and I could tell him anything. I don't know how I fell for him, but it just…happened. I always did have a thing or two for you, but I did prefer Quailfeather. I didn't mean to have his kits, but I knew that the Clan wouldn't be pleased if they knew the truth…so I took the next best option. Quailfeather wasn't pleased about this and we got into an argument; he wanted to leave the forest so that we could be together, but I couldn't bear the fact of raising our kits in the forest as rogues. We agreed to my plan and we made a promise to never meet up in secret ever again.

"After that argument, my feelings for him diminished; they never fully went away, but I no longer loved him. Instead…I finally accepted your request to become your mate. And it was…the best decision I've ever made and it changed my life for the better. I don't care if Pumpkinfur, Goldenstar, Mousethorn or Limpkit were your kits biologically; you were still _their_ father, and a wonderful one. I always wished that they were truly yours. I did love them a bit more, because I saw the traits that made me fall in love with Quailfeather in them. As of now, I love _all_ of my kits, no matter who they were fathered by.

"As for you…you are right. When we first got together, I did have some feelings for Quailfeather and I'm sorry that I didn't show my affection for you in the beginning. After a while…I started to truly see the wonders in you and I became grateful for you in my life.

"I never meant to make you feel useless. You are a very important part of my life and I apologize. Without your constant support and smiles, I don't know where I would be. You always had a way to make me smile and laugh and that made every single sunrise better.

"If I didn't love you, then we wouldn't have our wonderful kits together. We've been through thick and thin together, Ryeleaf. We've lost three kits and raised the other six to be proud and loyal WaterfallClan cats. Heck, one of them is a dog whisperer!" She let out a happy purr. "As of right now…I'll try to do better. These past few moons have been rough ever since Cloudedsky died a moon ago…" She paused, as if trying to keep her emotions in check and Ryeleaf remembered how a patrol found Cloudedsky's wounded body deep in the woods with claw marks all around her body. Ryeleaf had never felt such a strong grief before in his entire life, even when his mother died seasons ago. "But I know that we can make it through anything, as long as we do it together."

"Leopardnose…I…" Ryeleaf began, but he was at a loss for words. He was wrong about everything! "I…thank you. I've been living with this guilt for far too long."

"You have, you big fur-ball," Leopardnose gently teased and rested her muzzle against his. "Tell you what; I'll make it up to you. From now on, I shall proclaim my love to you every single sunrise. I will become the mate that I should've become and the one that you truly deserve."

"That sounds lovely," Ryeleaf purred and the two kinked tails.

The two mates had spent the entire night sitting by the river, exchanging tales and reminiscing old memories. They had laughed, they had cried, and they had smiled until the sun rose. That night they had shared was long overdue. For countless seasons, Ryeleaf had believed that Leopardnose didn't love him, but he was wrong. His mate had loved him with all of her heart until her last breath.

Leopardnose died the next day. She and Ryeleaf had taken a nap in the warriors' den and she never woke up. Ryeleaf grieved more than any cat, but he was also happy. The burden he had carried within him was completely gone, and his mate was now where she belonged.

In the moons to come, many cats had asked Ryeleaf why he was so happy and cheerful when his mate was gone. Ryeleaf would smile and gleefully tell them that he knew that his mate loved him and was watching over him with their kits in StarClan. If it wasn't for that fateful night by the river, he would've lived with that guilt for the rest of his long life.

And for that, he was truly grateful.

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><p><strong>Yes, it was based on a true story. An elderly couple that were my long-gone relatives a few generations back did have this exact conversation about the husband only marrying the wife for certain reasons, but not for love. Like Leopardnose, the husband proved the wife wrong and promised that he would make things right. He died the next day.<strong>

**I hope you enjoyed it!**


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